Looking Up in the Queen City

February, like many months before it, has been a tumultuous one for your friendly neighborhood Reds fan. With the organization in the midst of a massive rebuild/mentality shift, and the recent trade of one fan-favorite second baseman, the unease in the Queen City seems to have reached a rolling boil. Familiar faces of players like Frazier, Bruce, Phillips, Cueto, Leake and others that brought the city to its feet for multiple playoff runs in the 2010’s can now be seen on television wearing other colors. Not the “Reds red” we are used to, but Mets blue, Sox black, Giants orange, among others.

Buying into a small market ball club like Cincinnati is similar to jumping on a trampoline. It’s a cycle of gathering enough energy to reach the air, but knowing you will eventually succumb to Earth’s gravity. We may not have as nice of a trampoline as those kids in Boston or New York or L.A., but we love what we have. Its springs coil and uncoil, coil and uncoil as we jump. If everything is just right, we can suspend in the air, forgetting for a moment that we are reserved to this planet. It’s all about the apex. It’s that very small window of time where, despite natural limitations, you can fly.

The arrival at Game 3 of the 2012 National League Divisional Series was that apex for the most recent generation of Cincinnati Reds. On that chilly October night on the Ohio River, 43,492 people waived their towels as Homer Bailey’s pitches forced flames out of the center field steamboat stacks one after another. Had they reached the top of the jump yet? Not a chance, the fans thought. “This is Reds Country. This is our year,” fans would say.

As most can recall, that game did not end well, and neither did the next two. Gravity set in, and the Reds of the Queen City came tumbling back to Earth.

What has happened since that time, more or less, is damage control. If Cincinnati were a bigger market, the organization could have simply paid its core players to return and had another go at it. The reality of its market does not allow for such activity and the Reds have instead been forced to trade the familiar faces in an effort to get very young, very fast, in preparation for the next run.

(If you were robbed of a childhood and have trouble with the bounce house analogy, think “slash-and-burn” agriculture, which is where a farmer cuts down and burns plants in order to create a swidden. This method clears the land and creates a healthy environment for future cultivation.)

This trajectory and make-up of a modern, small-market strategy is not all the more different than that of the 2006 Tampa Bay Rays or the 2013 Cubs. Both were in some ways a brainchild of current Cubs skipper, Joe Maddon, and both tested the resolve of their fan bases. After all, a handful of losing seasons is often part of the plan. (Note: both would also eventually result in World Series rings).

Many writers and forward-thinking fans who have bought into this school of thought have not only supported this youth movement, but have been wondering what took Cincinnati so long. In a recent Twitter poll, a large group of Reds fans were asked to share their feelings about the current state of baseball in the former land of the Big Red Machine.

Exactly half of the participants said they liked “some of the moves” conducted by the organization, with another 21 percent stating they either disagree or don’t understand the trajectory.

Regardless of any philosophical differences fans may have with the modern mindset, one cannot argue with the positive effects on the organization’s farm system.

According to Baseball America, the Cincinnati Reds currently have the 14th best farm system in Major League Baseball, highlighted by the overall number nine prospect in Nick Senzel. By all accounts, the future is bright, and it appears the Reds are primed to compete in 2019, or possibly 2020.

Cincinnati is a baseball town, and one can only hope that its loyal fans will hold on long enough to see the next jump.

OTOGH: Rangers in the outfield

Drew Stubbs, has exercised his escape clause of his minor league contract and the Rangers gave him his release. Stubbs who was having a great spring training batting .324 in 37 at bats, made 3 successful steal attempts, was in a position to be a bench player for the Rangers but is seeking a full time position with another major league ball club. Personally I don’t blame him, who wants to ride the bench when you have something to give. I hope another team can use him an all his abilities.

The Rangers also did not pick up Jeremy Guthrie’s option and he is no longer a Ranger, while I understand the stats, 5.14 E.R.A. with 7 innings of work and 5 SO. I feel this was a mistake, Guthrie is a team player and I feel he is going to make a comeback, whoever does pick him up is going to have a great player on their hands.

With so much Ian Desmond talk one can forget the other players, but while Desmond has a position in the outfield, the others such as a newly buff Ryan Rua, or should I say oh ah, because he has packed on the muscles and with that pack on some stats this spring. With 54 at bats, Rua is hitting .426 and has a OBP .456. Him and Justin Ruggiano, will back up Desmond, Delino DeShields and Shin-Soo Choo, in the outfield.

The rotation is lining up as well, manager Jeff Banister is giving Cole Hamels the opening day start and the rotation looks like this until Yu Darvish comes back some time after memorial day. Cole Hamels, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Martin Perez, and A.J. Griffin.

The Rangers are in need of more catchers, Chris Gimenez, has a horrible ankle infection and is out right now, and the Rangers made a trade for a new catcher, they traded catcher Bobby Wilson to the Detroit Tigers along with Myles Jaye a RHP the Rangers acquired in a trade from the Chicago White Sox. The Rangers get Bryan Holaday with the Tigers he has a .281 avg and this spring he is .438 AVG in 16 games. To make room on the 40 man roster they designed for assignment Sam Freeman who this spring as a 5.68 E.R.A. during last season he had a 3.05 E.R.A. in 54 appearances

I have to say I am a little bit relieved to see Matt Bush on the Frisco roster, which for those who don’t know Frisco RoughRiders is the Rangers Double A team, Bush made his debut this spring after spending the last three years in prison. He did well this spring and threw up to 100 mph fastball. I am very concerned about his comeback, he needs a lot of support too much, in my mind. His dad traveled with him this spring and I don’t know if his dad is going to go follow him in Double A. While the Rangers lose very little on this transaction I feel they are playing with fire. Life of a ballplayer is hard and if addiction is in the mix that can be a recipe for relapse.

Wrigley Weekly Wrap-up

No worries for Jake Arrieta. His bullpen session Sunday morning eliminated any concerns the Cubs had about his status for the start of the season. Arrieta suffered a blister on his pitching thumb in his last spring outing Thursday and left the game early. He threw 46 pitches in the bullpen session and was declared ready to go. “He was fine,” Joe Maddon said. “No restriction whatsoever. He felt great. It was like it never happened. I anticipate no problems.” Arrieta was hit hard in 1/3 of inning Thursday against the San Francisco Giants, giving up five runs before being pulled. “Went great,” Arrieta said of his bullpen session. “I’m fine.” He will make his final spring start on Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics, where his pitch count may increase to make up for his short outing against the Giants. With their reigning National League Cy Young winner healthy, the Cubs’ rotation is set. After Arrieta starts next Monday against the Angels, Jon Lester will start Game 2, followed by John Lackey, Jason Hammel, and Kyle Hendricks. Reliever Trevor Cahill will stay stretched out as the emergency starter. Travis Wood, Adam Warren, and Clayton Richard will return to the bullpen.

The Cubs will open Wrigley Field to the fans 2 ½ hours before game time for the home opener on April 11th because of new security measures. For the first time, Wrigley will have metal detectors at every gate, which is likely to cause delays for fans entering the park. The detectors were mandated by Major League Baseball. The Cubs announced that on April 11th, gates will open at 4:35 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than usual. That game against the Reds is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. A Cubs spokesman said the team will evaluate fan traffic and average screening times before deciding if gates will continue to open earlier than usual.

Jake Arrieta, Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward, and Anthony Rizzo were placed on the regional cover of Sports Illustrated’s annual baseball preview issue. It’s the second time in the last seven months the Cubs have graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. After a big run in August, Kris Bryant and the team were placed on a regional cover. The magazine picked the Cubs to reach the World Series this year, but they have them losing to the Houston Astros.

Wrigley Weekly Wrap-up

Jon Lester has been playing with a bone chip in his pitching elbow and the Cubs knew about it when they signed him to a $155 million contract. The bone chip was found during a 2014 MRI before Lester signed his six-year deal with the team. But Lester calls the bone chip a “non-issue.” He pitched 205 innings in the regular season last year, plus another 14 innings in the postseason. However, if the chip moves, Lester acknowledges that he may have to have surgery. “It’s just a matter of hopefully it stays put, and we don’t have any worry about it,” Lester said. “And then if it does become a concern, if I start having inflammation or missing starts because of it, then that’s when we’ll probably sit down and talk to somebody about getting it removed. As of now, knock on wood, I haven’t had any concern with it.” The team did do an exam on him before the signing. “We did a very thorough exam including imaging of the shoulder and elbow,” team president Theo Epstein said Friday. “We were really quite pleased with the results, as Jon compared very favorably with most of the free agent pitchers we have examined and MRI’d over many years. Virtually all pitchers have some wear and tear on their shoulders and elbows, and Jon’s imperfections were very manageable. He remains very consistent, as we hoped, throwing 200-plus quality innings yet again last season.” Lester didn’t advertise the bone chip as he was being courted as a free agent in 2014, but the Cubs took the risk. “It’s kind of one of those deals if it’s not bothering you, don’t mess with it,” Lester said. “You start getting cut on and doing rehab, and that’s when maybe they’re in there, taking that bone chip out, and it puts more stress on something else. You don’t know. ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ type thing.” Joe Maddon didn’t even know about the bone chip, but he only had praise for Lester. “I’ve watched him throw in this camp and think he’s throwing the ball as well as I’ve ever seen him,” he said. “His delivery is as good as I’ve seen him. His arm stroke is beautiful.”

The Cubs cut 11 players from big league camp on Friday, including top catching prospect Willson Contreras and big Cactus League hitter Jeimer Candelario. Pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. was also sent down. Joe Maddon said all could have made an impact on the big league team this season as their farm system remains stocked even though several star players recently made it to the majors. “We graduated a class that’s up there right now,” Maddon said Friday. “You would think it would be barren after that because of how good this class is, but then I get to see these guys more readily. Wow, there’s more.” Contreras will be the starting catcher at Triple-A Iowa while third baseman Candelario was sent to Double-A for the moment. Edwards will also be in Iowa. Others sent to Triple-A Iowa include pitchers Pierce Johnson and C.J. Riefenhauser, along with Arismendy Alcantara. Five non-roster invitees have been assigned to minor league camp, including right-handed pitchers Stephen Fife, Felix Pena and Drew Rucinski, left-handed pitcher Edgar Olmos, and catcher Taylor Davis. All of the players sent down can still participate in Cactus League games, but will report to the minor league side of the Cubs facility.

After the Adam LaRoche situation on the south side, Joe Maddon is letting his team make their own rules. He met with his “Lead Bulls,” a group of 11 veteran players, to reinforce everything from the dress code to rules for kids in the clubhouse. As for the dress code: “if you think you look hot, wear it” and for kids in the clubhouse, they have to be out of the room three hours before game time. Maddon expects his veteran players to police the clubhouse and believes he will get more accountability by including the players in the process.

“I often kid about how we don’t have any rules around here,” Maddon said. “But you do. You have almost like a force field that’s not actually a fence. Guys know if you go past a certain point, you might get stung a little bit. But you don’t have to actually see the fence there. Whether somebody from the outside looking in considers it lenient, wise, revolutionary, whatever, I just think it’s the right way to do things.” Maddon also said he learned his lesson with rule making and that he’s just there to manage the team.

OTOGH: Desmond, Gallo & Fielder Oh My!

Well there is a running joke during Spring Training for the Texas Rangers newest LF Ian Desmond since had made 25 innings of work at LF but not a single fly ball until March the 10 when he caught his first, unfortunately it was a short lived victory as he called off Delino Deshields and missed another fly ball soon thereafter. Communication is something that will be fixed before the season starts.

How is Desmond adjusting to being with the Rangers?

According to Ken Rohensal with Fox Sports . While Desmond was upset with how the free agency market turned out for him, he is happy to be with the Rangers and he loves the challenge of left field. He hated the nickname of E-6 which he earned with the Nationals by having the most errors on the Nationals with 27 and 2nd highest in the majors.

“Its refreshing to be on this team, with this group of guys. Its a fun team. Everyone around the game can see that this team has a blast when the play. But they also play extremely fast and they play extremely hard. That kind of fits my game. The last two years, I’ve kind of lacked the fun aspect of it, That’s the void I’ve been trying to fill.”with this, Desmond’s bat has been coming alive. He is hitting 6 for 13 overall during Spring Training. But not just his bat is waking up in the Arizona sun, another Ranger bat has awoken as well.

Now is this your car?

When attending Spring Training you might want to consider taking Uber or parking REALLY REALLY far the stadium and if Joey Gallo is up to bat park REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY far away.

This monster shot was over 400 ft. Joey is really coming together this spring and will be much needed relief for Adrian Beltre to get some much needed off days.

No Sleep for the Mighty Prince

The life of a baseball player is hard, night games, then day games, practice, Spring Training add another element going back to work after being off, and most likely a new time zone. This can wreak havoc on anyone’s system, with Prince Fielder he was sent to Arlington to have a sleep study done when his insomnia was out of control. The sleep study came back with very scary results, Fielder stopped breathing 39 times during the night. STOP BREATHING you read that right. He has a severe case of sleep apnea. This shows that anyone can get this. so please if you are having trouble sleeping please check in with your doctor.

Ranger have already started making cuts to the team, According to Gerry Fraley@sportsday.dallasnews.com

“Outfielder Patrick Kivlehan, left-hander Yohander Mendez and right-handers Jose Leclerc, and Connor Sadzeck were optioned back to the minor-league camp. The club released non-roster right-hander Steve Johnson”

The Rangers are coming to San Antonio

There is an exhibition game in San Antonio called Big League Weekend, the Rangers have given a small list of players scheduled to appear. Derek Holland, Phil Klein, AJ Griffin, Ceasar Ramos, Catcher Robinson Chirinos, CF Delino Deshields, RF Ryan Rua and if healthy 2B Rougned Odor. This year they are playing the Kansas City Royals, which you can read about at Royally Yours.

Wrigley Weekly Wrap-up

Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta will skip their Cactus League starts this week. Lester will throw in a minor-league “B” game Tuesday instead of his scheduled Cactus League start against the Padres. Clayton Richard will get the start instead. Lester had a shaky first outing that included a few fielding mistakes, but Joe Maddon said that had nothing to do with the decision. Maddon said it’s just a matter of Lester “getting his work in” while allowing the team to “see some of the other guys against the varsity competition, and ensure we stretch Lester out comfortably.” He also added: “It wasn’t that he has to work on anything like throwing to the bases. That wasn’t the motivation. Jake (Arrieta) will do the same thing. It’s just to shield them from other teams seeing them.” Arrieta will also throw in a minor-league game Saturday, skipping a Cactus League game against the Indians. The Cubs and Arrieta are discussing a contract extension this spring. He has two years left on his contract, but the team would love to lock him up now before he hits the market.

The Cubs released left-handed reliever Rex Brothers on Thursday. After getting Brothers from the Rockies last November in a trade for minor-league lefty Wander Cabrera, the Cubs were hoping he could recapture his 2013 form, when he was a promising young closer in Colorado. Brothers struggled during his appearances this spring. In three outings with the team, he allowed three hits, walked three, and notched four strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. Things got ugly for Brothers in a relief appearance against the Diamondbacks last week as he threw four wild pitches in one inning. The release of Brothers officially puts the 40-man roster at 39 while the spring training roster is down to 62 players. The Cubs and Brothers avoided arbitration this winter when they agreed to a partially-guaranteed, one-year, $1.42 million deal. The partially-guaranteed contract means the Cubs only owe Brothers 30 days of termination pay, which amounts to around $300,000. With the release, the Cubs are saving close to $1.12 million while Brothers will get the rest of the month to catch on with another team in spring training before the regular season starts.

Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg returned to Cubs camp last week. Sandberg worn his familiar No. 23 Cubs uniform and joined his former team for workouts at the invitation of Joe Maddon. “He was really eager to get back, and I was excited to have him,” Maddon said of Sandberg, who played for the Cubs from 1982-94 and again from 1996-97. “He seems to really be in a good place and it’ll be a blast to have him around, and we’ll definitely rely on what he has to say.” Maddon is hoping Sandberg will work with the middle infielders this spring. “I want him to be comfortable and relax and enjoy his moment right now,” Maddon said of Sandberg.

Wrigley Weekly Wrap-up

On Friday, the Cubs agreed to terms with 21 players on their 40-man roster. Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber both agreeing to contracts for the 2016 season. Both players have been participating in spring training and the contracts are simply a formality, but both of them are now officially signed for the coming year. Addison Russell, Javier Baez, and Kyle Hendricks also signed a deal for the season.

The Cubs held their second annual ‘Respect Bald’ event Saturday to help support pediatric cancer research. Manager Joe Maddon, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, young slugger Kyle Schwarber and bench coach Dave Martinez were just among the many who sacrificed their hair for a good cause. Fans could also participate by donating $100. The team said they raised $23,565 from the event and expect more donations. There were 60 haircuts, including players.

Joe Maddon named NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta the Opening Day starter. “It’s another surprise,” Maddon joked about the announcement. “Of course he’s very excited about it. He’s earned that right.” It’ll be Arrieta’s second Opening Day start after getting the nod from the Baltimore Orioles in 2012. “It is an honor obviously,” said Jake Arrieta, the 22-game winner who will take the mound at 9:05 P.M. central time on April 4th at Angel Stadium. “I was able to get an opening day start early in my career during a different point in my career.” Arrieta will be followed in the rotation by Jon Lester and John Lackey, though Maddon indicated Lackey could go ahead of Lester depending on the matchup the team desires. Last season, Lester got the start while Arrieta started Game 2. “I’m more than happy for Jake,” Lester said. “Once you get named its kind of exciting and stuff but its one of those days that kind of sucks. I think it’s one of the hardest days of the year to pitch. A lot of distractions and things going on. A lot of outside things that are hard to control. But we all knew he was going to get that honor. I’m excited for him. It’s a cool deal.” The Cubs’ top 3 pitchers will make their spring debuts this week.

Is Kris Bryant Ready for The Big Leagues?

Kris Bryant, the number 1 overall prospect in baseball, also the Chicago Cubs third baseman. He looks ready for opening day, but will he be there? Kris hit 43 home runs last season across Class AA and AAA. In 70 games, he posted a .295/.418/.619 line. In that 2014 he received USA TODAY Sports’ Minor League Player of the Year and those afore mentioned 43 home runs were more than anyone in baseball.The 23 year old has picked up where he left off last season, going 7 for 14 with 4 home runs and a double in his first six Cactus League games. The Chicago Cubs traded third baseman, Luis Valbuena for center fielder Dexter Fowler this off season, but they said it wasn’t a move to make room for Bryant. Kris has outstanding stats, but there’s still some room to improve before the big leagues. He did strike out 162 times in 492 at-bats in 2014. The Cubs are still hopeful though and he’s been proving himself. There’s nothing wrong with having a big league ready prospect tearing up the Cactus League. At this point, the team is deciding between having Kris Bryant in their lineup to help from the start of the season or calling him up in late April and having him in the team’s control for the next seven seasons.

Here is the problem, Cubs fans couldn’t care less if it costs the Cubs a few extra million in salary arbitration, or whether it would permit Bryant to depart a year earlier in free agency. They’ve waited long enough. They want to win right now. Meanwhile, the Cubs front office and coaching staff hear the noise, and now are asking everyone to pump their brakes, take a deep breath, and chill.

The Cubs simply believe that Bryant needs more defensive seasoning at Class AAA Iowa. He has also been bothered by shoulder fatigue that has kept him from playing third base since last Thursday, and will sideline him at least until Thursday. This has nothing to do with money or future earnings, Cubs president Theo Epstein says – it’s a genuine baseball decision. In an interview with USA Today Sports Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said, “You never have a second chance to promote somebody the first time. You want to make sure they’re in the right place. In Kris’ case, we know he’s ready offensively, we just want to get him in a good rhythm defensively.”

But on the other hand, let’s make no mistake about it, there are two different issues going on here. To be competitive now, are look toward your future financially. Epstein and the Cubs realize that keeping Bryant in the minors for at least 12 days will assure he won’t have the service time to become eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season. If they keep him in the minors until June, it will save them millions by not granting an extra year of salary arbitration.

I think he’s ready, but I do respect the Cubs’ decision if they don’t put him in the lineup right away.

Goodyear Team Shop Already Open

In the past few weeks I have been to most of the Cactus League Spring Training Facilities. In my travels, some of the fields are open yet deserted. In fact, to my surprise, some of them were not even selling tickets yet. And only one of them had their Team Shop open for business, the one selling Cleveland Indian’s and Cincinnati Red’s merchandise.

The view of almost the entire store and the hundreds of items for sale.

Justin Rhoads is the manager of what I consider to be the best Pro Shop in the Cactus League. It is by far the largest and one of the few shops where you can access it from outside the actual stadium. He has a great staff working for him in the Goodyear Ballpark Team Shop. They are very knowledgeable and helpful while you are shopping and extremely friendly when your ready to check out.

The new 2015 Spring Training Red’s cap.

The new 2015 Indians Spring Training cap.

The Goodyear Ballpark Team Shop has hundreds of different items. They sell items for both the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds. They stock over 20 different caps, all licensed by MLB for each team. They have regular caps, visors, trucker hats, fishermans hats, snap back, fitted, and flex fit all in a variety of styles and for both teams. Plus they carry the MLB official team hats of all the Cactus League teams that you will see the actual players wear on the field.

The apparel they offer is second to none. They have jerseys as well as long, short, and 3/4 length sleeve shirts in sizes for men women and children in both teams. They carry a ton of cute items for babies, so they can start rooting for either the Red’s or the Indians from an early age. Everything from bibs to pacifiers to shirts and for those cute little fans, they even have dresses. The shop also offers dry-fit clothing, several womens and girls apparel items as well as polo shirts for out on the golf course.

This is the Cactus League, so as you might expect, they also have apparel with that in mind. They have shirts, seat cushions, bags, and other items with the Cactus League logo and all the teams that they represent for those fans who can’t quite decide who to route for.

The Goodyear Ballpark Team Shop sells a ton of other baseball related items. They have things like bobble heads, rally monkeys and other stuffed animals, miniature home plates, flip flops, sunglasses, baseballs, glasses, mugs, baseball cards and sharpies so you can get the autograph of the player you have always wanted.

For your convenience the Goodyear Ballpark gift shop is currently open from 10:00am until 4:00pm Monday through Saturday. And when games begin the store will open at 10:00am and stay open until approximately one half hour after the game ends. Or if you wish you can give them give them a call at 602-781-0826 for all of your baseball needs.